“Garden party” was a unusual jazz-funk instant hit in 1983.
Mezzo-forte are from Iceland: Eythor Gunnarsson on keyboards, Fridrik Karlsson on guitar, Johann Asmundsson on bass and Gulli Briem on drums
Having recorded their fourth album Surprise Surprise in London in 1982 the band found themselves standing at crossroads. The small Icelandic market was not enough to support a full time fusion band and the future did not look too positive. They played some concerts in Iceland, but the novelty of an instrumental band was wearing off and interest in funk and fusion music was diminshing with punk rock taking over the music scene. The band held a concert in one of Reykjaviks high scools in february 1983, to an audience of six people. This made them think seriously of breaking up the band.
It was therefore a big surprise when the song “Garden Party” from the Surprise Surprise album started to climb the British dance and pop charts and eventually found its way to number 17 on the british pop chart in the spring of 1983. Following this the band came internationally known. “Garden Party” made it into the pop charts in most European countries and suddenly the band was in big demand. The members moved with their families to England and spent the next years touring extensively around Europe and also toured Japan and other countries.
from smooth-jazz.de
beutiful….